Wire stretcher



Oct. 27, 1925 ,558,582

v 'r. J. BLOSICK WIRE STRBTCHER 7 Filed July 28. 1925 v |llIlllllllllllllllllllmlllllllIIIIIIIIINIIHIllllllllllli'n ff 15 Ill I w 54 I Patented Oct. 27, 1925.

UNITED STATES THOMAS J. BLOSICK, F PORTLAND, OREGON.

, WIRE s'rnnrorran.

Application filed July 28, 1925. 7 Serial No. 46,620.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THoMAs J. BLOSICK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Portland. in the county of Multnomah, State of Oregon, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wire Stretchers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in wire stretchers.

One object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which is simple in construction, and which is durable and effective in operation- Another object is to provide a device of this character wherein the stretching mechanism is adapted to be adjusted vertically in accordance wit-h the height of the wire to be stretched.

Another object is to provide a novel ratchet mechanism for preventing retrograde movement of the winding mechanism.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the wire stretcher in operative position.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the same.

Figure 3 is a horizontal transverse section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1, showing the ratchet mechanism, andpassing through one of the openings of the driving gears.

Referring particularly to the accompanying drawing, 10 represents an upright which is adapted to be driven into the ground adjacent a fence post, and in line with the wire to be stretched. A collar is disposed on the upright, as shown at 11, and is held in different adjusted positions by the screw 12. In the upper end of the upright is formed an opening which receives an end of the brace 13, the other end of said brace being formed with a chisel or pointed end adapted to be driven into the fence post 14, whereby to hold the upright 10 against movement toward the post, under the resisting or pulling influence of the wire being stretched. Slidable on the upright are the integral ring portions 15, of the yoke 16, such ring portions resting on the adjustable collar 11, whereby to be supported at the desired height. Disposed transverse ly through the outer end portions oi the arms of the yoke 16 is a winding drum 17, on which the wire to be stretched is wound, and on one end of this drum, externally of one of the said arms, is a large gear18.

Extending transverselythrough the yoke,

adjacent the ring portions 15, is a second shaft 19, and on said shaft, outwardly of the said arm ot the yoke, is a smaller gear 20, which meshes with the gear 18. Also carried by the shaft 19, is a disk21, which is set in a circular recess 22, formed in the outer tace of said arm of the yoke. In this disk are formed the openings 23, each of which-is adapted to register with an opening 2 1, in the said yoke arm, shown in the sectional view Figure 3. In the other arm oi the yoke, in alinement with the opening 2-1, is an opening 25, and disposed in said openings is a bar 26, one end of which is disposed through the opening 24 for engagement successively in the openings 23, of the disk, while the other end extends beyond the side of the yoke and is threaded to receive the nut 27, and washer 28. The intermediate portion of the bar 26 is formed with a shoulder 29, and encircling the bar, between the shoulder and the lastnamed arm of the yoke, is a coil spring 30, which urges the bar toward the openings of the disk. Upon turning the nut in one direction, the bar will be withdrawn from engagement with the openings of the disk, while upon turning the nut in the opposite direction, the spring 30 is permitted to act upon the bar to urge the same toward the disk, for engagement in the openings there of. The face of the disk 21, which bears against the bottom of the recess 22, has a series of inclined grooves 31, each of which passes into an opening 23, for guiding the adjacent end of the bar 26 out of the openings. is preferably beveled, to a slight degree, whereby to engage against the wall of an opening 23, opposite to the groove 31, there of, to maintain the disk, and the gear 20 against retrograde rotation. The shaft 19 projects beyond the gear 20, and has a crank handle 32 removably secured thereto, for rotating said shaft and gear.

The end of the brace 13, which extends through the upper end of the upright 10, is provided with an opening 33, for the reception of an end of a guy wire 34:, the other The said adjacent end of the bar 26 with its other end driven into the post. The

guy 3% may be used or not, as desired. The wire to be stretched, or the wire which is connected with the woven wire section 36, is passed through an opening in the winding drum 1?, and properly'secured against withdrawal. The operator then grasps the crank and rotates the same whereby to cause the drum to wind the wire onto the drum. As the gears rotate the disk will also rotate to successively bring its openings 23 in position to receive the adjacent end of the bar 26, which bar end snaps into the opening, and then rides out of the opening on the inclined bottom wall of the groove of the opening, ready to drop into the next open ing. This continues as long as the gear and disk are rotated. The tension of the wire being stretched will tend to cause the gears to rotate in a retrograde direction, but will be prevented from such movement by the engagement of the bar against the deeper wall of the opening 28. The bar thus performs the function of a pawl, while the openings 23, and inclined grooves perform the function of ratchets, with the result that the drum can be rotated until the wire is properly stretched, without danger of the drum permitting unwinding of the wire. After the wire has been stretched, the device is removed and set up at the next post of the fence, and the foregoing operation repeated.

What is claimed is:

1. A stretching device including a support, a yoke supported on the support, a winding drum on the support, gears for rotating the drum and including a. disk having openings, a spring pressed bar having an end arranged to successively enter said openings as the disk is rotated, means for urging the bar into the openings, and means for withdrawing and retaining the bar out of engagementwith said openings.

2. A stretching device including a support, a yoke on the support, means on the support for holding the yoke atdiil'erent heights thereon, a winding drum in the yoke, gears for rotating the drum and including a disk having a circular series of openings, one face of the disk having an inclined groove extending into each opening, and a spring pressed bar carried by the yoke having an end arranged to snap into the openings successively and to ride thereout through said grooves.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

THOMAS .J. BLosIoK. 

